Ballast attachment for boats

ABSTRACT

An adjustable ballast attachment for use on boats for stability and to prevent capsizing, which attachment may be folded inwardly of the boat while traveling at high speed and extended to stabilize the boat while moving at low speed or not moving at all.

United States Patent n91 Craft Feb. 19, 1974 I BALLAST ATTACHMENT FOR BOATS [76] Inventor: Walter Boone Craft, 2208 Brownlee Rd., Bossier City, La. 71010 [22] Filed: Mar. 20, 1972 21 Appl. No.: 236,202

[52] US. Cl. 114/123 [51] Int. Cl B63b 43/14 [58] Field of Search 9/1 R, I T; 114/123, 61;

[56] References Cited UNITED STATES PATENTS 10/1966 Dolph et a1. 114/123 6/1957 Gaskovitz 9/1 R 2,697,776 12/1954 Wale 248/291 2,654,336 10/1953 Katzung 114/145 A FOREIGN PATENTS OR APPLICATIONS 643,468 6/1962 Canada 114/123 Primary Examiner-George E. A. Halvosa Assistant Examiner-Sherman D. Basinger Attorney, Agent, or Firm-John M. Harrison [57] ABSTRACT An adjustable ballast attachment for use on boats for stability and to prevent capsizing, which attachment may be folded inwardly of the boat while traveling at high speed and extended to stabilize the boat while moving at low speed or not moving at all.

5 Claims, 2 Drawing Figures BALLAST ATTACHMENT FOR BOATS BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 1. Field of the Invention This invention relates to a new and improved safety attachment for boats of all sizes, and particularly, to a new and improved ballast attachment for small fishing boats, such as those of aluminum construction which are subject to easy overturning. The attachment of this invention is simple and easy to install and provides a ready means for stabilizing the boat and preventing capsizing, as well as sinking, if capsizing does occur. The ballast attachment may be readily adapted to and installed on substantially any boat, although it is partic' ularly well adapted to small fishing boats, and it may be extended and retracted, as desired.

2. Description of the Prior Art Heretofore, various ballast attachments serving a variety of functions have been developed to aid in pre venting boats from capsizing and to provide greater stability on the water. For example, US. Pat. No. 543,210 to N. C. Jessup discloses a sailboat having hinged attachments on the sides thereof to form a hollow water-tight member of great lightness and buoyancy. The function of such a device is to decrease the possibility of capsizing under high wind conditions when the boat is subject to a large degree of list. Similarly, the US. Pat. to L. M. A. Truffert, et al., No. 3,145,682, discloses a stabilizing attachment which is affixed to the deck ofa sailing vessel and adapted to extend and open when the vessel turns on its side to a predetermined degree of list. The device is designed to prevent the boat from turning further than this predetermined point, and ultimately overturning.

A principal disadvantage of many of the prior art devices illustrated by the N. C. Jessup and L. M. A. Truffert patents is the size and bulky shape of such devices. Another disadvantage is the lack of buoyancy of such devices, in relationship to the size of boat to which they are attached. Still another disadvantage is the means by which these devices are attached to the boat to provide the desired degree of buoyancy.

Accordingly, an object of this invention is to provide an improved ballast attachment, and particularly, an improved ballast attachment for small boats which is simple, adjustable, and easy to attach to provide a builtin safety device for boating.

Still another object of the invention is to provide an improved ballast attachment for essentially any boat, but particularly small boats, which may be easily retracted and extended for both high and low speed oper ation, as desired.

Yet another object of the invention is to provide a method for making small boats virtually unsinkable and for increasing the stability of such boats when the occupants move about inside the boat and relocate gear.

Another object of the invention is to provide a ballast attachment for boats which can be designed to present an attractive appearance and which may easily be removed from the boat if desired.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION These and other objects of the invention are provided in a ballast attachment for boats, which includes the following elements:

I. Ballast means or float to provide the necessary buoyancy;

2. Ballast mount including one or more float arms carrying the float in adjustable fashion; and

3. Mounting means attached to the ballast mount and boat, which mounting means is equipped with a variable positioning means and is adjustable to allow the float to be retracted, positioned in a desired folded altitude with respect to the boat, and extended, as desired.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS The invention will be better understood in view of the following description presented with reference to the accompanying drawings:

FIG. 1 of the drawings is a top view of the ballast atachment of this invention; and

FIG. 2 is a side view of the ballast attachment.

DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS Referring now to FIG. 1 of the drawings, the ballast attachment of this invention generally represented by reference numeral 1, is illustrated mounted on boat 2, illustrated in section. The component parts of the ballast attachment are float 3, which effects the necessary buoyancy, carried by float arms 4, and affixed thereto by bolts 5. Float arms 4 are in turn connected to or formed integrally with float arm brackets 6, which are in turn carried by rod 9. Float arms 4 are also equipped with float positioning pins 7, and set screws 8 serve to firmly position float arm brackets 6 onto rod 9 so that lateral movement of float arms 4 in the direction indicated by the arrow effects corresponding lateral movement of rod 9. Float arm bracket stops 16 are attached to pin wheel mounts 11 in order to prevent excessive lateral movement and displacement of float arms 4 and rod 9.

Referring now to FIG. 2 of the drawings, one of two pin wheels 10 is illustrated with apertures 13 around the periphery thereof, adapted to receive float positioning pins 7 in adjustable relationship. Springs 14, more particularly illustrated in FIG. 1, are biased in position against pin wheels It) by means of nut 15 and spring bias 17, respectively, both of the latter of which are attached to rod 9. Retaining nut 15A serves to keep one of the float arm bracket stops 16 in place, and pin wheel mount clamp 12 is used to mount ballast attachment 1 onto the gunwale of boat 2.

Referring again to FIG. 1 of the drawing, ballast attachment 1 is illustrated in disengaged position with float arms 4 positioned laterally displaced from pin wheels 10 against the bias of springs 14 in the direction indicated by the arrow. Such lateral movement effects disengagement of float positioning pins 7 from float p0 sitioning holes 13 in pin wheels 10, and enables float 2 to be lifted in a vertical arc to a position where float positioning pins 7 may register with other selected float positioning holes 13 located along the periphery of pin wheels 10. In this manner, the ballast attachment may be positioned in the extended location, as illustrated in the drawing, where it will contact the water and stabilize boat 2, or it may alternatively be lifted to a vertical folded position or an inwardly folding position over boat 2 for travel, as desired.

It will be appreciated that a similar ballast attachment is preferably, but not necessarily, located on the opposite side of the boat, and depending upon the size of the craft, multiple units may be affixed as needed. In

the alternative, the ballast attachment may be built to specifications which are commensurate with the size of the boat or water craft being utiized, and may be designed for quick and easy installation and detachment, as desired. It will be further appreciated that, depending upon the size, design, and weight of the water craft, the ballast attachment of this invention may be equipped with more or less buoyancy, as desired, depending upon the size and shape of the float utilized. correspondingly, the float may be designed to incorporate substantially any shape, but in the case of use on fishing boats, is preferably curved on the outer edge, as illustrated in FIG. 1 of the drawing, in order to facilitate movement of the boat through trees and brush. Float, and/or bracket design may, of course, vary for use on sailboats and other water craft.

Accordingly, it will be recognized that variations of the invention are possible without departing from the spirit and scope of the basic design thereof. For example, referring again to the drawings, substantially any number of float positioning holes 13 may be drilled in the periphery of pin wheels to provide variation in the extended and folding positioning of float 3 to the outside and inwardly of boat 2. Furthermore, pin wheel mount clamp 12 may be designed as desired, and according to the knowledge of those skilled in the art, and

may be either affixed permanently or temporarily to equipped with at least one float positioning pin and a float arm bracket carrying said ballast means; and

C. A rod which carries said at least one float arm and said float arm bracket;

D. A first pinwheel having a plurality of holes in the periphery thereof, affixed to a first pinwheel mount and adapted to receive said rod in a rotatable and slidable relationship; and

E. At least one spring mounted on said rod and biased against said first pinwheel to maintain selective registry of said float positioning pin and said holes.

2. The ballast attachment of claim 1 further comprising float arm bracket stops affixed to said pin wheel mount to prevent excessive lateral movement of said float arm with respect to said pin wheel.

3. The ballast attachment of claim 2 further comprising a second pinwheel affixed to a second pinwheel mount, and a pair of springs mounted on said rod and biased against said first and said second pinwheels to maintain selective registry of said at least one float p0- sitioning pin and said holes.

4. The ballast attachment of claim 3 further comprising a pair of pin wheel mount clamps adapted to removably secure said first and second pin wheel mounts and said ballast attachment to said boat.

5. The ballast attachment of claim 4 further comprising a pair of float arm bracket stops affixed to said at least one pinwheel mount to prevent excessive lateral movement of said at least one float arm with respect to said first and second pinwheels. 

1. A ballast attachment for mounting on a boat comprising: A. Ballast means; B. Ballast mount including at least one float arm equipped with at least one float positioning pin and a float arm bracket carrying said ballast means; and C. A rod which carries said at least one float arm and said float arm bracket; D. A first pinwheel having a plurality of holes in the periphery thereof, affixed to a first pinwheel mount and adapted to receive said rod in a rotatable and slidable relationship; and E. At least one spring mounted on said rod and biased against said first pinwheel to maintain selective registry of said float positioning pin and said holes.
 2. The ballast attachment of claim 1 further comprising float arm bracket stops affixed to said pin wheel mount to prevent excessive lateral movement of said float arm with respect to said pin wheel.
 3. The ballast attachment of claim 2 further comprising a second pinwheel affixed to a second pinwheel mount, and a pair of springs mounted on said rod and biased against said first and said second pinwheels to maintain selective registry of said at least one float positioning pin and said holes.
 4. The ballast attachment of claim 3 further comprising a pair of pin wheel mount clamps adapted to removably secure said first and second pin wheel mounts and said ballast attachment to said boat.
 5. The ballast attachment of claim 4 further comprising a pair of float arm bracket stops affixed to said at least one pinwheel mount to prevent excessive lateral movement of said at least one float arm with respect to said first and second pinwheels. 